I, Dalek
by FizzGryphon
Summary: Corky is a Dalek -but not just any Dalek. He is a Starfleet Dalek, raised by both human and alien hands from an embryo to current. Saved by Q as a source of entertainment, these are the voyages of the most unlikely Starfleet cadet.
1. Prologue

**I have come to decide that will be a second place to post my writings. Although I doubt they will get much attention, people can read. This particular one is actually a series of drabbles based around a Dalek OC of mine named Corky. There will later by a true story based on an RP with my friend DreamFluent, of which she plays the Doctor and some/most of the Daleks. But to read that, you will first have to read this to understand Corky's orgins.**

 **Another point I might make is that this is an AU where Starfleet and the Star Trek universe exists in Doctor Who's universe, so information will be incorrect at some points canon to both shows. Unfortunately, though the meeting of 11 and Picard in Assimilation2 is canon, the Doctor still does not exist canon to the Star Trek universe. Earth history is made to fit Starfleet -and though much of Doctor Who and Star Trek (as much as possible) is fitted into this AU, certain aspects will still be incorrect.**

Q stooped down to examine the wreckage he'd caused the planet… not that it mattered much. Most of the planet was dead, dying, or going to die soon. Besides, Q didn't really care about the lives lost... not when he saw the whole universe as a whole, with so many others to take their places. It certainly had been interesting watching the warrior race try meekly to fight against Q's undeniably superior power. They didn't stand a chance, but they kept fighting. Q was, of course, poking fun at them, teasing them, even taunting them.

Ultimately, Q's intentions -this time- were indeed to kill, however. The Daleks were dangerously close (once again) to Federation territory. It had been a long time since they'd struck, and each time had been thwarted by either he or the Doctor. Not that they worked in a team. No, they simply despised each other… but at least they were working towards the same cause. Q was a troublemaker, but at least his loyalties lie in favour of the Federation. Most of the time.

As he was stooping down, he noticed something within an opaque blue casing. Picking it up and examining it, he realized a small Dalek embryo was developing within the cerulean slime encased in what appeared to be a type of glass. It was about half developed, and in a few years Q assumed it would be full grown and worthy of a Dalek case and training -the very thing that made the Daleks what and who they were. Davros may have isolated the emotion of hate and turned it to be the most likely of all emotions to show at one time, but the lifeforms within their cases were much more complicated than that.

They had feelings more powerful than anyone could describe in the beginning, and were starved by their own shells of these emotions. Little did the Daleks themselves know that the hate and fear they experienced was derived from the frustration of keeping emotions and their very thoughts at bay. If training did not starve them of the very thing that made a lifeform natural, a Dalek's own casing did. And if being trapped in that wreched shell alone, never to expirience life wasn't enough, they had programming to control them as well!

Nobody could admit that it wasn't a horrible concept. Except for maybe Devros.

While holding the smallish container in his hands, Q pondered this and took pity. This Dalek was left behind in its youth by its own kind, and it was perhaps an even kinder fate than if the Daleks had saved this lifeform from this now abandoned planet. Whether it was purposefully left behind or simply forgotten, Q did not know nor question.

Taking the developing embryo under his arm, the alien being turned back, and already a plan was slipping into his mind… a daunting plan to raise this Dalek as his own… perhaps he'd even follow Q in his fascination with humans? Who knew? Perhaps he would one day be a Starfleet officer!

It'd certainly be an exciting game to be played, whether it worked out for better or for worse. But what could go wrong, really? He'd raised Little Q, and he'd tolerated Lady Q... and that was a nightmare. How hard could raising a Dalek be?


	2. Chapter I: The Only Good Dalek

**Caution: Here be the first chapter of the actual story. Some of it might be rusty, because at this point Corky was still a very underdeveloped character. However, it's also the point where the Dalek becomes quite a bit easier to write for.**

 **From here on out, all of the Doctor's lines were written by DreamFluent, and all of the story is a collaboration work. If anything seems odd concerning the format of the story, it is because we wrote it together in 'roleplay' form. Also, again, I would like to say this is an AU, so some information may be incorrect/different than in canon to both Star Trek and Doctor Who. Q, the Doctor, and all canon characters are not owned by me, however, Corky and other OCs are indeed owned by either me or DreamFluent.**

"Sppst, Corks, over here." It was Audrey, a student majoring in zoology and anthropology. She had taken interest in Corky from the beginning- and originally loved poking fun at him. The Dalek turned to face her.

"What are you-"

"Shhh, look," she held out a fuzzy mass of flesh, wriggling between her fingers. "It's a species of alien canine... Brilliant isn't she?"

Curious, Corky rolled forwards a bit. "Why do you have it?"

"It's mum was killed in an accident. The poor thing needs a home, and until I find her a permanent family, Starfleet said I could keep her." Then she turned her face towards him, amber eyes gleaming brightly. "I was wondering if you could care for her while I'm out doing fieldwork for this trimester."

"I am afraid I might not be able to t-"

"Of course you are and will be! Remember the time that horse escaped the stable?"

"Affirmative… but that was a hologram, on a holodeck."

"Oh, come on, you're perfect for the job. I'll stop by your quarters before I leave on Thursday and give you all the information you'll need."

"Audrey..." Corky didn't get a chance to argue any longer.

"My, look at the time! I've got to get to class before I'm late! See you later!" With that, she turned and stalked off, puppy still in her arms. Corky stared after her, then turned his head towards the lift. Little did anyone foresee the visit of a very interesting man in a very interesting blue box.

xXx

The signature screech of the TARDIS rang out through the room in which it landed, though there didn't seem to be anyone there to hear it; a man in a tweed jacket and a bow tie stepped out jovially, wondering where the box had brought him and why. Setting her navigation to randomly select a place was always a good way to entertain himself. After running around for a minute and scanning things with his screwdriver (as well as licking a few things to determine their composition), he concluded that he was in the territory of the Federation, which meant as long as he didn't interfere with anything too much, he was tolerated. Exploration was in order.

Locking the TARDIS and leaving the room, he realized that he was in a school. People were walking with a purpose, heading to their next classes. Naturally, he started socializing with random groups of friends or people he thought looked lonely as they continued on their way. He stopped to pet a puppy a girl was holding when he saw something he never would've imagined roll around the corner. "Dalek!" he cried out, pointing his screwdriver at the creature as if it were a weapon. A few people looked at him strangely, but eventually left him be. The Doctor put his screwdriver down, looking around at the students. "Why aren't you running? It's going to exterminate you all! Or… it should have…"

The Dalek rolled forwards, its single eye boring into the Doctor as it approached. "Dalek?" It spoke as if it was asking a question, and weirdest of all, as if the word was unfamiliar to it. "I can assure you, I am not going to hurt you." As it came closer, the Doctor noticed that this Dalek sported a Starfleet symbol, delicately etched into its midsection.

"And next you're gonna ask me if I'd care for some tea, but I've already fallen for that one once. Where's the ship you're working for… and why…" the Doctor said almost to himself while scanning the Dalek with his screwdriver, finding that he was indeed a Dalek on the inside, as well. "... are you here? What's so special about this place in particular that you'd pose as a spy instead of exterminating everyone?"

"I have not yet been assigned a starship, sir," the Dalek responded, "and I am no spy."

"And I don't believe you. You're a Dalek. The only reason you're _anywhere_ is to conquer and exterminate other races… or find a sneakier way to kill even more life forms." The Doctor looked somewhat flustered, but at the same time he was certain that a Dalek would never be able to exist in a Federation training facility without an ulterior motive. That's how it always was when they weren't killing, and he already gave them the benefit of the doubt when they had appeared in World War II.

Despite the Doctor's accusations, the Dalek was not guilty. He turned his eye to look straight at the Doctor, "I am not a killer." Then a question came to its mind, one it'd forgotten to ask earlier, before this Time Lord starting pointing fingers. "Who are you?"

"You should know. You've got that PathWeb thing. I'm the Doctor, Dalek enemy number one!" he practically yelled, though at the same time he pointed his screwdriver at Corky again to ensure that its scans weren't wrong the first time. They weren't. "And I'm here to stop you from whatever your plans are for this place."

"Doctor who?" Corky replied, trying to sort out what this 'doctor' was talking about. "PathWeb?"

"Love that question," the Doctor said quickly, chuckling a little. "And the PathWeb. The way all you Daleks share information. Your hive mind so all of you know everything all Daleks know. But you're just trying to trick me again! Of course you know what it is!"

"I do not," the Dalek denied with certainty.

It was at this moment that a flash of light lit up the room and a man was standing besides the Dalek, leaning against it as if it were a lamppost or a wall. "He's telling the truth, Doctor," Q grinned, "He hardly knows a lick of what 'Daleks' are."

"And who are you? How did you get there?" the Doctor asked, wielding his screwdriver as if it were a weapon ready to be fired. He was already slightly on-edge from being in the presence of a Dalek in the first place. "How do you know this Dalek isn't just acting like it doesn't know what it is?"

"Oh don't bother with that sonic," Q said, smug expression never faltering, "It amazes me how primitive Time Lords can be… you wouldn't understand how my powers worked even if you tried. As for this Dalek, his name is Sa-ak… but the students in this facility have come to call him Corky. I raised him, and in fact, the very casing that houses his unfortunately grotesque body is built by the Federation itself. If you'll look closely, Doctor, you'll notice that he does not -in fact- have a single ounce of Dalek technology on him. Lieutenant Commander Data helped build this very casing, if you're curious… and yes, Doctor, I'm just as capable of time travel as you."

The Doctor put his screwdriver, now somewhat flustered with the mysterious mystery that Q was, before going back over and scanning Corky again, only this time for technology. Q was right… there _wasn't_ any Dalek technology on the supposed Dalek. "They're all bred for war. A Dalek is still a Dalek," he said finally, "even if he doesn't know of where he came from, they'll get to him, and they'll use him for their own motives. But what that _doesn't_ answer, is who you are, and why in any world would you save a Dalek of all things."

"Why not? You know just as well as I that even Daleks feel more than hatred. Let's just say I took this Dalek for my own entertainment... after all, I am immortal. I can't be killed if this Dalek went wrong, and it's been seven years and so far the worst I've gotten is a bit of a temper tantrum. Besides, I took him when he was young enough not to be able to control a real Dalek casing."

"But you're willing to risk an entire planet because you want to play a _game_ …" That moment was when he realized why the TARDIS had brought him there. "And I'm here to make sure that no one's in danger because of it."

With a snap of his fingers, Q reappeared next to the Doctor, this time in his clothes- including bow tie and fez. The Doctor, however, was wearing a Starfleet uniform like the one Q had been wearing a second before. Mockingly, the alien man waved the Doctor's very own screwdriver around. "This isn't a _game_ , it's a test. A scientific test. Besides, what makes you have the right to go blasting every Dalek off the universe? You're no better than they are. And besides, I haven't even told my pet about his unfortunate origins."

"At least _I_ don't go committing genocide on every species that's different from me, and if you wouldn't mind I'd like my bow tie back," he said, grabbing the screwdriver out of Q's hands. Whatever this creature was, he was really not liking it. And whatever the Starfleet uniform was, it was a bit too... uniformy, for his taste.

"What's the matter? Too clingy? I think I might have the solution for that." Another snap of his fingers and the Doctor and Corky both turned to ponies, Q himself was a strange, mismatched creature. "There, now there's no need for that dreadful clothing."

The Doctor stared at his hooves for a minute, clearly trying to figure out how he'd turned into a pony in the first place before brushing it off, staring back at the Dalek-turned-pony and the other creature, which he knew had a name but he couldn't remember at the moment. "You're tampering with the structure of the universe. However we all ended up like this, I'd prefer we be changed back."

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when you decide that clothing isn't comfortable again," he muttered, snapping an eagle talon and changing them all back -and this time allowing the Doctor to have his regular clothes back. "So… if you won't give this poor Dalek the benefit of a doubt, how can I prove it to you that he's not all that horrible?" Corky remained silent, flustered by everything yet remaining unsurprised at Q's antics… possibly because he had been raised by Q, and Q had a way of constantly interrupting the regular flow of life.

The Doctor looked at Q thoughtfully for a moment, glancing at the Dalek and back to Q. He had an opportunity to prove without a doubt that Daleks were never to be trusted. "Let's put him in my TARDIS and see what he does there." Of course, the Doctor would never say aloud that the first wrong move Corky made would mean the Dalek's death, but it would be foolproof. Any true Dalek would do just about anything to get a hold of technology so valuable. They liked destroying unique, valuable things almost as much as other species.

With a swift nod, Q agreed. "But you have got to promise to at least give him a chance, Doctor. A lifeform isn't guilty until proven so. Now, where is your ship parked right now? I know I saw it, but I'm prone to… short term memory loss, if you will. Having all of time, space, and dimensions at your fingertips will do that to you." Then walking a few steps forwards towards an unknown destination, he beckoned Corky to follow.

The Dalek swiveled its head around to gaze down the hallway. "I cannot be late to class…"

"I'll make sure they don't rough you up too much if you're late… besides, the Doctor's a Time Lord. Time Lords are time travelers, and if all else fails we can put you right back in this very spot in time, right Doctor?"

"Time travel, yes. Crossing our own timeline, no. All he has to do is take a look at it… and actually, it's right over here." The Doctor walked a short distance, opening a door and going inside before looking back at them again. "Come on! We haven't got all day!"

Q skipped inside, followed closely by Corky. "Funny you say that, Doctor, when you've got a time machine."


	3. Chapter II: Endless Possibilities

**I must apologize for the odd breaks between chapters. This was originally a roleplay, as I've stated before, and so it was not written to be read without breaks.**

Corky was immediately enthralled by the TARDIS' interior. His mind reeled as he tried to comprehend the technology to create this machine. The interior looked like something out of the future, and bits and bobs pulsated and wobbled. It was all very complicated. "It is..." for a moment, the Dalek didn't have words, "it is bigger on the inside..."

"Waydda state the obvious, Corks," Q muttered.

The Dalek suddenly became talkative. "How? Please explain."

The Doctor paused for a moment, caught completely off-guard. The Dalek literally gave the same response as any of his other companions did the first time when they were introduced to the TARDIS. It was hardly even speaking like a normal Dalek would. "It's dimensionally transcendental… but how did you not know that already? Daleks already know Time Lord technology. They hijack it whenever they can."

It was then that the Dalek said something even more surprising. "What is a Dalek? You continue to refer to me when you say Dalek." Each time the creature said the name of it's kind, it actually sounded foreign, as if this really was it's first time exposed to the word.

"A Dalek," the Doctor replied, trying to choose his words wisely, "is the universe's greatest warrior race, but their culture prevents them from making any alliances. They see all creatures, besides themselves, as inferior to their own kind. And so… they exterminate them."

Corky didn't respond for a long moment. "For what cause do they slay?" So many unanswered questions came to his mind - so many that he wanted to ask.

"They think that they are the dominant species of the universe... and that nothing else should exist besides themselves." The Doctor was analyzing everything at this point. How had the Daleks not connected the creature to the PathWeb yet? Even Daleks that didn't realize they were being controlled were normally still subject to the hive mind the species shared… but Corky seemed to be the exception.

Why? The question pounded in the Dalek's mind. For what reason did Daleks think they were so special? "So they destroy what they deem inferior," he concluded. "They do not know the meaning of honor. But how do they kill so many with a clear conscience?"

"Because they don't have a conscience. Their only sense of 'morality' is preserving their creator, Davros, and not killing another of their own kind. And you, Corky, are not like them," the Doctor finally said, looking back to Q slightly in acknowledgement. "Daleks don't question things like that."

Corky stared at the Doctor for a long time before answering. It sounded as if a Dalek was enslaved by its own culture, yet didn't even have the ability to realize it. But were they slaves if they didn't recognize it? The answer to Corky was an obvious yes. "I am alone." Corky always knew that he was not humanoid, but now that he knew his species and what he was supposed to be, it made him feel so alone, so alienated. His entire race... they'd be disappointed in him, but if they didn't have a conscious, was it even possible to feel disappointed?

Q came over and placed a hand upon the Dalek's head in what comfort he knew how to give, and both Dalek and humanoid turned to pony and dragon. The now pony Corky immediately ran into Q's strange paws and claws. "You're not alone. You've got your friends at Starfleet."

The Doctor looked in wonder at the Dalek's action. He was actually seeking affection from someone, even if it was an odd deity-like creature. "A Dalek by species but not by culture… I've never seen anything like it."

Q turned back into his humanoid self, leaving Corky back as a Dalek once more. "I told you he wasn't a horrible creature, Doctor. Just another strange life form. And besides the fact he's been exposed to my power, I promise you I haven't interfered with the way his mind's wired."

For once, the Time Lord didn't know what to say at first. "A Dalek working with the Federation… that's brilliant!" he finally said, his mind racing with thoughts, "Just one Dalek alone was enough to destroy an entire nuclear bunker! He'd be perfect to take a ship into battle, or maybe even stop a war before it starts if he learned how to be a diplomat, or…" he continued on, rambling about all kinds of things Corky might be able to do and practically bouncing around the room in excitement.

Corky watched him, strangely amused by the Doctor. "I am in training to become an engineer or part of security. I do not know which path I will take."

"You could do whichever field you want, or even both. The possibilities are endless! If they have one good thing about them, though, Daleks are bred to be geniuses, especially in warfare tactics. That's why they're so deadly."

"But I am not a killer," Corky admitted sheepishly. "And I am only equipped with a standard phaser. I do not want to fight a war, Doctor."

"Don't be ridiculous, every Dalek has the instinct to kill!" The Doctor paused after saying that, turning back and facing Corky with a questioning look on his face. "...don't you?"

"Not that I have encountered," Corky stated. "I can shoot down bogies in holodeck training, but the one time I tried training with a phaser at its lowest setting and real people as targets…" He trailed off some, or rather, cut off abruptly due to his casing's limitations. "I hesitated. I shot, but I hesitated." There was a great deal of shame in the way he said it, even if the stoic restrictions on even Corky's vocal abilities couldn't contain it.

"I'm impressed, whatever-your-name-is," he said, looking to Q quickly, "...how did you keep a Dalek from having the lust for war? That's encoded in them… from the day they were created."

"I'm sorry," Q apologized, "I never properly introduced myself. I'm Q… or, rather, we're all Q. We're called the Q, and we all go by the simple letter." Waving his hands away as if pushing away the useless chatter, he continued. "I had nothing to do with it. The only thing I did was save the Dalek, really. Doctor, has it ever occurred to you that if you removed one of your regular old Daleks from their casings, their home, and their PathWeb, that they might have different personalities? Not even I can perfect the art of what Devros has done to his creations without tampering with the very soul of each individual creature directly. And that, believe me, takes time even Daleks don't have patience for."

"Normally they have all three of those things, though. The only thing I consider when I'm running from them is how to kill them. This Dalek could be considered a new species with the amount of freedom he has."

"A human who is a monster is still a human," Corky mused, "a Dalek who is compassionate is still a Dalek."

"But you're the only compassionate Dalek in existence. You can't turn to other compassionate Daleks like monster humans can turn to other monsters. Part of being a Dalek means that you cooperate with other Daleks."

"Then show me that there are no other good Daleks. I do not believe that there is no hope of another like me."

"Good… Daleks… oh! Why didn't I think of that before!" the Doctor said, running to the controls of the TARDIS and pulling a few switches and levers, causing the blue box to screech in its signature way. Once it seemed like they had landed, the Doctor threw open the doors to a dark, damp room. In it were Daleks, their casings all at various stages of deterioration, and all of them were either chained to the wall or to the ground. "Be careful not to speak too loud. You'll wake them up. But _these_ , are the Daleks like you… except they were trapped in their own society. This is their Asylum. One of them, anyways."

"If they are like me, then why do you fear their awakening?" The Dalek asked. An even more pressing question came to his mind. "Why are they locked up and left to die? Why not just exterminate them, if they were considered a burden?"

"They're unstable. Some of them are so set on proving that they're 'sane' that they'll kill anyone in sight that isn't a Dalek… they don't kill their own kind."

"For what reason?" Corky asked. "And what makes you think that my presence would change their minds?"

"They were put here because they failed their missions. They didn't kill what they were supposed to. But if there was any goodness in the Dalek race at all, it would be here. Maybe you could convince a couple of them one day that they're on the right side." The Doctor still hesitated, however, to let Corky out of the TARDIS. He still didn't know if the Daleks in the Asylum would actually listen to a Dalek such as him or not.

Looking out at the abandoned, chained, neglected creatures, Corky found it hard to wrap his mind around the fact that he was their kind. Daleks... the very word was so alien to him... so new. "I do not speak their language, I do not even know what culture they came from. I cannot relate. I would not know what to say."

"The TARDIS'll translate for you, and you don't need to relate." At this point, the Doctor was more curious than anything. Would Corky actually decide to try to reason with the other Daleks? "It's your choice whether to talk to them or not. You can always wait."

A war between acting and refraining was raging in the Dalek's mind. Pity for his kind, and fear of them as well... but lacking any kind of knowledge about Daleks besides what little the Doctor had said was the thing holding Corky back like iron chains. "I am afraid."

"For a good reason. You've never seen anything like yourself before, and they just happen to be some of the most evil creatures in the universe. But being afraid also shows that you're _living_ , not just going through the same old thing every day. There's something on the line. You could rewrite time right now, at this very moment. But you have to decide to."

There was a long moment of silence. "I..." He looked to Q for guidance, but the man simply shrugged in response. Daleks... his kind, his race, just outside the doors of the TARDIS. Yet something was holding him back. "I would not know what to say. I do not know how to win their favor." _Some Starfleet officer I would make_ , he thought to himself. Situations like these were rare to come by, especially when it came to the Daleks. Even though they were relatively unknown to Starfleet, he could tell that they were a threat.

"You could always start off with a 'hello' to see if they talk back?"

Corky agreed that it was worth a shot. Rolling out of the TARDIS, he started his attempt at speaking to his own kind. "Hello. I am a Dalek under Federation order. My name is Sa-ak." There were no sounds, no indication that any of these Daleks were even still alive. Turning his eye to the Doctor, Corky spoke once more. "I do not believe that they understand, Doctor."

It was then that sudden commotion erupted from the asylum Daleks. Lights lit up as they screamed out words almost unintelligible. Words such as, "The Doctor is detected. Exterminate! Exterminate! The Doctor must be exterminated!"


	4. Chapter III: Risa

Corky froze in place as the other Daleks fought-and sometimes even broke- their rusted chains. Backing up as several approached the TARDIS, he instinctively fired off shots with his phaser set to the highest setting. "Doctor! What is happening?" The shots were ineffective.

"Bad idea gone worse!" the Doctor replied, "Get in! The shields aren't going to hold forever!" Of course he'd probably explain later, but right then they just had to get out of there.

Corky scooted into the TARDIS without any further questions. "Explain." He demanded, turning on the Doctor, "Why do they hate you so much? Why did your name awaken them?" By now Q had disappeared again- no surprise considering the unpredictability the man walked with- otherwise Corky might have asked him instead.

The TARDIS began to screech again as the Doctor piloted it back to where they came from. "Same reason why I almost killed you when I first saw you… I'm their greatest enemy." He almost spoke the statement as a mark of pride, even if at the same time he detested that he was considered such a killer. "The day they catch me will be their Christmas."

That wasn't the answer the Dalek was looking for. "But why are you such enemies? Why do they not scream to destroy the whole of the Time Lords instead?" He'd only picked up on the Doctor's race because Q had mentioned it.

"They already destroyed the rest of the Time Lords. All that's left is me," the Doctor replied, pulling a few more levers on the TARDIS as the screeching gradually diminished.

"Then you are the only one. You are like I am. But you keep escaping the Daleks while your kind is nearly extinct. How did the Daleks destroy your race when they are not capable of exterminating just you alone?" He knew he was venturing into dangerous waters, as he'd learned that death was often a touchy subject. Even so, the Dalek's curiosity had been tapped into, and wasn't about to stop anytime soon unless he got answers.

"We're back at your school," the Doctor said bluntly, walking over to the doors of the TARDIS and flinging them open. He was wrong. Outside the doors was what seemed to be a somewhat tropical place… not like a jungle, but almost as if it were a vacation spot. "...if your school was a prime vacation spot." He ran back to the controls on the TARDIS, finding that she wouldn't let him pilot her but eventually learning that they were on the planet Risa. _Risa…? Why does that name sound so… oh no._

"It is not," Corky answered, rolling behind the Doctor and peering out through the TARDIS doors. When the Doctor ran back, Corky did not move from his place but rather followed him with his eye. "Planet is identified as Risa." He didn't know that the Doctor had just figured out the same thing. "Why are we here, Doctor?"

"Take any guess you please. The TARDIS is here for whatever reason," he said quickly, brushing off what he knew about the planet. That was the future, and time could be rewritten. Perhaps that's what they were there to do. "She doesn't have the best of navigation." With that, he put his screwdriver in his pocket and exited the blue box, looking back at Corky expectantly. "Well, come on, then!"

Corky remained staring back at the TARDIS console for a few seconds before he followed. The Dalek took to hovering, promptly following the Doctor. "You call your ship a 'she'. Why? Why can we not take off? What are we leaving the TARDIS for?" The questions were mind boggling and distracting as the Dalek struggled to keep to the air. Hovering was a pain, as it required constant thought just to keep afloat.

"Because she's the TARDIS," the Doctor replied simply, "She takes us to where we need to go, even if it is INCREDIBLY ANNOYING AT TIMES!" At this point he was yelling back to the TARDIS as if she could hear him. Scanning the surroundings with his screwdriver, he realized that the planet shouldn't even be habitable… too much seismic activity. But there wasn't any. There was simply peace.

"Your ship cannot hear you," Corky stated, as if the Doctor did not know that, then continued, "Why would we need to be on Risa at this time?"

"In the future, it doesn't exist," he said simply, while at the same time trying to figure out why, specifically, they were there. Why this time period? He'd find out eventually.

"Does not exist?" Corky repeated, confused. "What could possibly destroy this planet? It is known for its peaceful nature… it would not be a strategically logical planet to attack. There are no Federation bases here. There are no bases of any kind. Risa has very little in weapons capabilities. It would be like destroying a planet void of life."

"No one knows why. It just doesn't exist anymore," the Doctor replied, continuing to walk ahead of the Dalek. He could've sworn he saw a big building of some sort in the distance. Maybe that was where they needed to go to fix all this.

The Dalek tried to hurry to keep up with the Doctor, but the limitations of his casing made it difficult to -especially now when he was hovering. "That would be interfering dangerously with time," Corky warned, "I have been studying Time Warp theory and physics at Starfleet Academy. It would be unwise to interfere."

"Rule number one: time can be rewritten. Not always, but time can be rewritten. So let's see what we can do." The duo eventually made it to the base of the building, which didn't seem to be marked in any way. It was just a building in the middle of nowhere. "What do you think, shall we go inside?"

Corky examined the door, analyzing it and finding nothing about the building. "I think it would be foreseeable," the Dalek answered, instinctively setting his phaser to the highest level of stun. "And if time can be rewritten, how would you know if it would or would not be dangerous to do so?"

"I don't. Isn't it marvelous?" the Doctor replied, using his screwdriver to unlock the door, and, while there was some resistance, it opened easily enough. It seemed to be rather dark inside, but the Time Lord entered anyways, using his screwdriver as a flashlight until he found the actual panel to turn on the lights.

"It is not, Doctor," the Dalek replied, sure of himself. "It is dangerous." Swivelling his head to look around, it seemed that they were on a fault line, as the machines whirring in the background sounded like those of seismic regulators. Starfleet kept one on the san Andreas fault, just to be sure they could control an earthquake if it threatened any cities nearby. Corky knew enough to recognize one, but any familiarity beyond that was lacking. He quickly relayed the information to the Doctor -or, rather, slowly did, as his voice chip did not allow for fast paced annunciation.

"Interesting contraption," the Time Lord said, walking around and eventually finding what seemed to be the main control panel. He scanned it with his screwdriver. "Also interesting is that the lights were off when we came here. Who's monitoring this place?"

"I do not know. If this machine is like that of the one at the academy, at least one person should be monitoring the machine at all times."

"Funny you should say that," the Doctor replied, showing Corky the readings his screwdriver was giving him as if the Dalek could read them. "Because it isn't operational."

"Then what reason does it have to be here? It appears to be on one of the more unstable fault lines on Risa." He was running images through the positronic matrix equipped in his casing on and about Risa. There wasn't a whole lot of information that the Dalek had, but there was enough to feel knowledgeable about the planet.

"It's supposed to be stopping earthquakes," the Doctor said, feeling a rumbling under his feet as he spoke. "...the earthquake that tears the planet apart." Immediately, he ran back over to the control panel, running as many diagnostics as possible to see if he could figure out what was wrong with it. But then again, maybe there was something mechanical. Or something else. "We haven't got much time! Let's see if we can fix this thing!"

"Doctor, if we stay here then we will be ripped apart," Corky said flatly. He knew that if the Doctor were correct that millions of people would die. Even so, a selfishness stole his compassion away. The Dalek wanted to flee, but what good would that do if their only escape route was the TARDIS - the ship he couldn't fly.

"All the more reason to hurry," the Doctor replied, looking at the rest of the machinery to see if there were any problems. "You're a Dalek! You're brilliant with technology, so go see what you can do with that control panel over there!"

Corky turned to stare at the Doctor, his eyestalk giving off perhaps an even more blank expression than usual. "I might be a Dalek, but how should I know anything about this machine?" The willingness to obey orders, however, forced Corky to listen anyhow. Doing as he was told, Sa-ak rolled over to the controls and dutifully removed the panel's cover. "I am not familiar with this equipment, Doctor."

"Neither am I. Just play with it and see if you can get it to do anything," the Doctor said, unfazed as he continued analyzing another part of the machine. His screwdriver didn't seem to be doing much.

Doing as he was told, Corky fiddled pointlessly around with what controls he could. "This is not going to work," he insisted, a small tremor beneath them shaking the ground below.

With that statement, the Doctor was able to reactivate something where he was investigating. Or maybe it was the tremor. He didn't know, but perhaps they _were_ going to save the planet after all… maybe. "Daleks are _born_ knowing how to use computers. Even if they've never seen technology of the type before. You just need to figure out WHY it's stopped. And quick!"

Corky stared at the controls, trying desperately to remember anything that might help. The controls were alien to his eye, and although the Doctor thought all Daleks knew technology better than anything else, Corky was the exception. "I am not your typical Dalek, Doctor." Even so, he fiddled with the levers and buttons until something started to whir beneath them. The Dalek wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"I guess we're learning about nature vs. nurture, then," the Doctor replied, preoccupied with figuring out what the Dalek had started up beneath them. However, before he could conclude what it was, it slowed back to a halt again. "Wait! Whatever you did, do it again." He kept his screwdriver trained on the ground, attempting to analyze what had just happened. Maybe they were getting somewhere.

The Dalek pulled the lever he had before, starting up the machine once more. "What is it that this control is doing, Doctor?"

"Not sure, but it's better than nothing." The Doctor scanned the floor below them quickly. "I think the machine's starting up again." _Or the earthquake is still coming. Ugh, stay positive, Doctor!_

"Doctor, I do not believe that getting this machine running once more will negate the effects of an earthquake. These machines are used to disrupt and nullify the quake at its core. The tremors have already started, and have probably already done damage. If the fault line slides and this machine is not on, there will be no helping this planet."

"Stop being such a Dalek! There's still hope if we just… wait." The Doctor turned around to face Corky urgently. "Is this planet normally populated?"

"Doctor, Risa is one of the most densely populated planets known to Starfleet. There are many visitors -typically on vacation." Corky answered dutifully.

"Then why didn't we see anyone when we landed here?"

The Dalek was silent for a good long time. "I do not know. It is against all known fact."

"...they've evacuated already." The Doctor could feel another tremor under his feet. Running back to the door they went into, he found it shut and locked. Deadlocked. "So it's a trap, eh?"

"That would be illogical. Why would anyone set a trap for one man? And how would they know that you would be coming to this exact point in time and space?" Corky asked.

"One: because I'm the Doctor. And two: ...we're going to find out." The room began to shake again, even stronger than before. These weren't just tremors anymore, the full-out quake beginning to take hold. The one that would tear apart the planet. "Why would you want to destroy a perfectly good planet?" the Doctor yelled into the seemingly empty building around them. Its structure was crumbling, and, if they didn't get crushed beforehand, a way out might be made for them. "Or are you too cowardly to show yourself?"

A wordless high-pitched whirring replied, growing closer until the Doctor could almost see them. He already knew what they were, though. "Daleks."


	5. Chapter IV: A True Dalek

why would they set a trap like this… and how… and they're not trying to exterminate us both."

Peering out through the debris and dust, Corky was curious as to what _Daleks_ really were… And better yet, if they were as ruthless as the Doctor said they were. And if they were, how come he was so different? "Would they be looking to take us captive?" He asked in response to the Doctor.

"I don't-"

"THE DOCTOR AND ASSOCIATE WILL NOT REMAIN IN HIDING!" A gravelly voice rang out, even more hoarse-sounding than Corky's. The Doctor froze for a moment, almost considering hiding as an option. They were _Daleks_ , for crying out loud!

"Should we listen to them?" Corky asked, struggling to keep his voice just below the growling and snapping of the quake beneath them.

The Doctor paused. Sometimes actually listening to the Daleks was a good thing, but in this case he wasn't sure. In all honesty, he was more concerned about what they would do to Corky. "No. The only thing to do when there's a Dalek is run." The quake intensified further, not seeming like normal tectonic motion. Instead of short and violent, this was long and more consistent. As consistent as a quake could be, anyways. A piece of the building collapsed, revealing a perfectly open space large enough for escape. "Come on, let's go that way." Of course, the Doctor himself would come back to the scene as soon as Corky made it back to the TARDIS. Even if Corky _was_ a Dalek, the Doctor didn't want to start a war with Q. He didn't like fighting.

For a moment Corky debated on whether or not to follow. He was torn between a world he knew (or thought he did) and a new world -a world where he supposedly belonged. The Dalek's hesitation turned into quick reflexes, however, when he heard the other Daleks fast approaching. If what the Doctor said was true, then he didn't want to think of himself of that race. Hovering -as hard as it was- after the Doctor, the Dalek was in close tow. "Doctor, if they have set such an elaborate trap, then how are we to know they have not already seized your machine?"

The Doctor ignored the question for a moment - he didn't know, not for sure. But maybe they hadn't found it yet. Upon approaching the part of the planet where he had parked the TARDIS, he found it guarded by at least three Daleks, and probably more in the jungle.

Correction: definately. "YOU ARE THE DOCTOR AND TRAITOR DALEK ASSOCIATE. YOU ARE NOW PRISONERS OF THE DALEKS. SURRENDER OR BE EXTERMINATED."

Corky swung his eyestalk towards the Doctor in question, not sure what to do and thoroughly overwhelmed. He had so many questions, but he knew now was not the proper time to ask them. The Dalek also bit back a clever response similar to 'I told you so'. Instead, he nearly squeaked. "Doctor?"

"Don't worry. Just don't strike out against them and they'll see you as neutral. I think," he told him in a low voice, putting his hands up in surrender. "As long as we're useful, they shouldn't kill either of us."

"YOU WILL COME WITH THE DALEKS." The earthquake had subsided slightly for the time being. Was it just another, larger tremor? If the Daleks were still on the planet, the Doctor supposed, then it probably was. They still had time to retrieve the TARDIS… and the best way to get through the Daleks' security was to listen to them. At first.

It was as the Doctor was thinking this that Corky blurted, "May I inquire as to where you are taking us?" He'd gained enough courage to once again ask one of the multitude of never ending questions he had on his mind. Then he added, "And we will come with you. We…" he hesitated, as if the word was a curse, "..surrender."

"DALEKS DO NOT QUESTION ORDERS. DALEKS DO NOT SURRENDER," one Dalek said, almost scolding Corky for how he was behaving. "YOU WILL FOLLOW."

The Doctor was already mulling over in his mind what they could do to get to the TARDIS before the planet eventually crumbled. And, a better question, what the Daleks wanted. He followed complacently with a swagger in his step, hopefully to annoy the Daleks in their attempt to scare him. Even if they couldn't feel annoyed.

Corky continued to pester his fellow Daleks. "Why not? What if you are unclear as to how to complete a task? Then do you question orders? And as for surrendering, it would be unwise not to. You said yourself that it is surrender or be exterminated."

One of the Daleks turned its eyestalk to face Corky. "YOU ARE _NOT_ A DALEK."

The Starfleet cadet shrunk back a bit, surprised, but was quick to recover. "But I assure you I am," he insisted, his voice becoming a bit more hard and grainy, as if to emphasize the fact.

The other Dalek growled right back, its voice almost sounding like it was trying to be quieter. "Daleks do not associate themselves with the Doctor."

"Well you do," Corky argued, "just not as allies. As enemies, you associate yourselves with the Doctor."

"Incorrect. An associate is an ally. You are in an alliance with the Doctor."

"And how would you know that? Just because I am traveling with him does not mean I am on his side. I take no sides."

"A _true_ Dalek would exterminate the Doctor unless ordered not to."

"I have not been ordered to exterminate the Doctor, nor refrain from doing so."

"You do not have the training of a Dalek."

"No I do not. I am a Starfleet cadet."

"Starfleet is the enemy. Daleks are not Starfleet."

"I am, and I am a Dalek," Corky stated flatly, his voice droning in the same annoying way as the other Dalek.

"Stop mocking the Daleks, Corky," the Doctor said, turning around and walking backwards to face him. "They don't like it when you mock them. They get offended easily."

"DALEKS DO NOT 'GET OFFENDED'." The other Dalek resumed its previous volume of voice, instinctively aiming its gun at the Doctor, even if it wasn't going to fire. It was under orders not to. "DALEKS DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH STARFLEET. YOU ARE _NOT_ A DALEK," it stated pointedly at Corky.

"I am a Dalek." Corky continued, unfazed. "I am a Starfleet Dalek. That does not make me something else."

"DALEKS DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH INFERIOR SPECIES."

Corky hardly understood, so switched to making a very blatant statement. "So if I am an associate with inferior species, and I am a Dalek… then does that make Daleks inferior?"

"YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF A TRUE DALEK. DALEKS ARE THE SUPERIOR RACE. YOU ARE MISGUIDED."

"The Q call themselves the superior race, as well," Corky pointed out. "I am not misguided. I am only looking at the world through a different viewpoint."

"Then you are incorrect."

"By whose definition?"

"The Daleks."

"But I am a Dalek."

"You were not trained by Daleks."

"What is your point?"

"You were not trained by Daleks."

"And…?"

"Daleks not trained by Daleks are misguided Daleks."

"I am not misguided."

"You do not believe that Daleks are the superior race."

"But I do not deny that they could be."

"Daleks _are_ the superior race." At this point, the Dalek almost began to sound annoyed. The Doctor listened in amusement, entertained that he finally found someone that could truly perplex the Daleks.

"But so are the Q," the Dalek repeated. "Would you like to take it up with them over who is the superior race?"

"I cannot declare war on the Q. I am not the high commander."

"Then the argument is not to be settled, then."

"I do not have the authority, no. You will question Daleks of higher ranks than myself."

"I will not," Corky disagreed. Then he focused his attention to the path ahead. "Where are you taking us?"

"Dalek base camp."

The Starfleet Dalek swung his eyestalk to face the Doctor -but only for a moment, in fear of running into something. If he could have shown emotion, the glance would have betrayed worry. "For what reason?"

"Oh, they've got a new reason every time," the Doctor butted in, still rather chipper. "Sometimes they even want me to save them from their own insane asylum. But they never remember that I always find a way out. Much to their disappointment," he said, patting the security Dalek's 'head' a couple times.

"YOU WILL _NOT_ ESCAPE!"

"Not immediately, no. But we will."

"TIME LORDS ARE INFERIOR TO DALEKS."

Corky was becoming more and more nervous as they stepped and hovered closer and closer to their destination. _Dalek base camp._ He was beginning to fear the future -to fear that the Doctor's words about how terrible Daleks were were true. Already they'd been faced with enough evidence to support his descriptions. Trying to focus himself away from the fright, he asked, "Why?"

"DALEKS DEFEATED THE TIME LORDS IN THE TIME WAR."

The other didn't know how to respond to that one… The Doctor had said the same thing. But defeating a race in battle didn't make that race any lesser than the one attacking. "Then why do you not exterminate the Doctor and be done with it?"

"I cannot. I have been ordered to bring the Doctor to Dalek base camp alive."

"Why?"

"I do not know. Daleks do not question orders."

Corky was confused… "Then how do you even operate if some problem arises?"

"Exterminate the enemy."

The Starfleet Dalek was silent, contemplating on that answer. It was difficult to wrap his mind around… and he was confused. He didn't understand why his race was being so idiotic… and why this Dalek was so dense, so... stupid.


	6. Chapter V: Accidents Happen

**I just wanted to say thank you to all who've been reading this story - I wasn't expecting to get any readers, let alone readers who _enjoyed_ the story. Sorry about this chapter being a bit short, as well. Since this story is simply a continuous roleplay, it's difficult to distinguish chapters... the good news? The full story is soon to be completed, and that means chapters will be posted more regularly... and, of course, more, new stories will branch from this one. In fact, they already have!**

The riddle of the Daleks was so incredibly hard to sort out that Corky, being distracted from hovering, landed on his side in the mud. Being quick to recover wasn't an easy task, and left him simply stuck there for the time being, and embarrassed beyond belief to not only have fallen, but also to have done so in front of his own kind and the Doctor. His now muddied eyestalk -obscuring half his vision- turned up to the Doctor for help.

"Well, now. I never would've thought I'd see a Dalek drop out of the air like that." The Doctor went back to Corky, doing what he could to try to put Corky back upright… though it didn't occur to him that Daleks were quite heavy. "...you might be stuck there."

It was then that the other Dalek spoke up. "Activate hovering on starboard side."

Corky did as he was told, another wave of embarrassment washing through him as he awkwardly attempted to righten himself -and only succeeded in whacking his eyestalk in the mud a second time, thus blinding him. Lessons on how to hover properly was something he needed… but nobody but a Dalek could teach, he supposed.

"Clear eyestalk lens. Activate hovering on starboard side."

"This is not helpful," Corky muttered before quite literally blinking away the mud from the lens -at least Data had thought of that. Dutifully, however, he tried again, this time righting himself enough to regain balance - before nearly falling backwards. The trembling ground he'd been laying on had interfered somewhat with his compass… it took a moment for him to orient himself again. "Thank you," he finally said, somewhat sheepishly.

"Daleks do not feel gratitude or embarrassment. You have been tainted by lesser races." The Dalek turned its eyestalk away from Corky, keeping its eye on the Doctor instead.

"You are a very interesting Dalek," the Doctor concluded, making eye contact with it. "Daleks don't _help_ other Daleks, no, you'd rather send them to the Asylum or let them get killed."

The Dalek was silent, looking almost as if it were contemplating something. "The Doctor will report to Dalek base camp," it finally said, even more robotically than before.

Corky, now situated comfortably in a hover, getting annoyed by the lack of detail anyone was giving him, spoke. "How far away is the base camp?" The tremors were enough to make Corky worried… Especially if the Doctor was right about the quake ripping Risa apart.

The other Dalek fell back to silence, hovering through a thick portion of the jungle and expecting the prisoners to follow. It didn't leave enough room for them to escape, but it was an odd action nonetheless.

"What is wrong with… that Dalek" he didn't want to say 'it', because he felt it would be rude… but did Daleks even have genders? Did they care? Corky was always called 'he', but then he really wasn't a 'he' by all technical standards. He was an it. Corky hadn't ever understood the humanoids and how they liked to misclassify him as male, but he didn't care much either. He knew that other races found it disrespectful, so he simply viewed the subject as neutral.

"...most of them act a lot more Dalek-y than that one did. I think we got lucky." The Doctor was also rather confused, though. The last time he'd met a Dalek that wasn't completely cold and heartless… were those in the Cult of Skaro. And they were long dead by this point.

"What do you mean by more 'Dalek-y'?" Corky asked. He was already dreading the answer.

"Daleks… are the most heartless creatures that still have the capability to experience emotion. They exterminate everything that isn't Dalek… and if that Dalek had acted like how they normally act, you would've been left behind in the mud. Weakness isn't tolerated, even within their own species."

"But why," Corky asked for what seemed the millionth time, "are they -we- supposed to be that way?" Even the seemingly monstrous Klingons helped their brethren, or, as their customs called for, helped them overcome helplessness… well, through suicide… but at least it wasn't leaving them without some twisted form of care.

"Unfortunately. They don't see the value in life… only killing other species and becoming the dominant race. If a Dalek doesn't perform, they'll just move on to the next one."

"But that is cruelty," Corky retorted. Again he wondered how any intelligent life form could lack a conscious to the point of what a Dalek supposedly had.

"Daleks disregard compassion… if worse comes to worse, it's every Dalek for itself. Unless it's been ordered to sacrifice itself." The Doctor pushed through the overgrowth, revealing where the other Dalek had gone. Its gun was still trained on him, and it was still remaining silent. The camp itself was fairly impressive, considering that it only consisted of a spaceship on the ground and a heavily guarded ramp leading into it.

Corky didn't like that answer… and it still made him wonder how any race could possibly be so heartless; and better question: why he wasn't so. "This is not good, Doctor," he pointed out, shifting his thoughts away from figuring the Daleks out. "I do not think it is wise to follow…" but at the same time, the ship sparked even more curiosity.

"Would you rather get shot?" he asked rhetorically, walking ahead anyways. Something seemed off about a spaceship like that appearing on a planet such as Risa… as far as the Doctor knew, Risa was not exactly a place where the Daleks could hope to get resources from. So why there?

Even if the question wasn't supposed to be answered, Corky did so anyway. "No."

"Good. Then I'd listen to their ord-"

"YOU WILL PROCEED TO DALEK HEADQUARTERS. PROCEED!" the other Dalek was acting much more normal at this point. Likely because there were other Daleks around.

Not a good sign.


	7. Chapter VI: Spoiler Territory

**Cue Rusty...**

 **Also, for those of you more interested in** ** _Corky_** **himself, there are hints to his future on my DeviantART account (just search Corky). There are also spoilers, so beware. However, there will be stories focused around Corky alone in the future - so don't fret! There will be more.**

Corky would have jumped, if he had the capabilities. The other Dalek was acting much more normal at this point. Likely because there were other Daleks around. He followed the Dalek's command, nervously swinging his eyestalk -scanning for anything that might be useful at a later date. His computers were running at full speed -taking in everything at once… but the lifeform that was Corky had his thoughts clouded by fear and curiosity.

The Doctor kept up his usual, normally unswayable disposition on bad situations. He wasn't dead yet, which meant that they needed him for something. The question was: how could he use it to his advantage? He'd done it before, so he could do it again.

Eventually, the guard Dalek directed them to the room where they were needed, apparently - it looked like a scientific lab of some sort, with a few Daleks acting as what the Doctor decided were 'scientists' and others that looked more like they were the subjects. There wasn't much telling which was which, though.

"Why have you brought us here?" Corky asked, his robotic voice taking on a twinge of fear, even though he tried desperately to keep his voice as flat and emotionless as his fellow Daleks.

"You have been brought here," one Dalek started, turning its eyestalk to look at them, "Because we require the services of the Doctor. You, traitor Dalek, are his associate, and will be treated as such." It moved over to another Dalek… one that looked in much worse condition than the others. "We have relocated for the reconditioning of one of our race. One that you, Doctor, tampered with when it was in a state of-"

"ALL DALEKS MUST BE EXTERMINATED!" the other Dalek cried out, almost frantically. However, it was too damaged to be able to use its gun.

"...why would I ever do that? It's a genius idea, but…" the Doctor paused for a second. He was now in spoiler territory, from the looks of it… he didn't remember ever turning a Dalek against its own kind. It seemed impossible. "I saved… a DALEK, of all things?" His future regenerations seemed to be going downhill.

"You did not save it. You have tortured it. A Dalek should _never_ feel that it should turn against its own species. And now you will repair it."

"Why do you call that torture?" Corky piped up, "Why not call it truth or sanity?"

"The _truth_ is the superiority of the Daleks. _Sanity_ is a Dalek not killing other Daleks. This Dalek has committed murder." The Dalek almost seemed tolerant of answering questions… though it was partially to see how far Corky had managed to drift from the Dalek way.

" _Murder?_ Killing another Dalek is murder, but killing any other creature _is not_?" He was appalled by the idea.

"That is correct. Killing another life form is purification of the universe."

Corky couldn't even wrap his mind around that idea… not even begin to understand. "But… you are killing other intelligent lifeforms -some much more intelligent than yourselves. Why? Why are Daleks more superior?"

"Daleks are the most advanced soldiers in the universe. Daleks will reign supreme!" The Dalek almost seemed to grow annoyed with Corky's questions, much as the other Dalek had.

"But you do not know how to live," the Starfleet Dalek said, his voice almost deadly.

"We are alive." The Dalek turned its eyestalk back towards the Doctor. "You will tell us the method by which you corrupted this Dalek."

"Look, this hasn't even _happened_ for me yet. It's later in my timeline! You Daleks really need to figure out how to catch me _after_ I mess up your little bubble you call a society."

"DOC-TOR! THE DALEKS MUST BE DESTROYED!" The damaged Dalek almost acted like he wanted the 'visitors' to carry out his own mission, and it made sense, in a way; the Dalek had no functional weapon.

"Wait…" Corky didn't understand, "these Daleks are from somewhere in the future of your timeline? Then we are treading on very dangerous grounds, Doctor." He ignored the other Daleks for now. Corky was preparing to be commissioned on a timeship, so he was trained in all things time oriented. Perhaps the Doctor was a Time Lord, but a reckless Time Lord at that.

"Don't worry, I do these kinds of things all the time," the Doctor replied in the same positive way he conducted himself in for the most part. "Sometimes time can be all mixed up. The Federation just doesn't understand why yet," he added, patting the Dalek's 'head' for added effect. "Now, how DO you expect me to 'fix' this Dalek?"

"You will reach a diagnosis. If it can be corrected, it will be corrected. If it cannot, it will be sent to the Asylum."

"And what's gonna happen if I don't help you? You're gonna _exterminate_ me?"

The Dalek paused for a split second. "That is correct."

"How do you propose we go about correcting the problem?" Corky asked, "Or even diagnosing it?"

"No idea," he replied, scanning the Dalek with his screwdriver. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it." Of course, a good Dalek was even better than a 'fully operational' one. Even if it was considered a malfunction.

"ALL SYSTEMS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONAL. THE DALEKS MUST BE EXTERMINATED!"

Corky flinched -though no one could see it- at the Dalek's words. "Then what is wrong with it?"

"Nothing other than… well, not thinking like the Daleks."

"Which does not mean anything is wrong with it," Corky pointed out. "Doctor, you could ask this Dalek what happened to it…"

"Why don't _you_ ask it? You speak Dalek," the Doctor said quickly, but the malfunctioning Dalek was already on a tangent, seemingly talking to itself.

"Doctor, I do not speak-"

"DALEKS ARE NOT BEAUTY. DALEKS DESTROY BEAUTY. DALEKS DESTROY LIFE. DALEKS MUST BE _EXTERMINATED!_ "

Corky was admittedly getting annoyed by the grating yelling… it was painful to listen to. Maneuvering himself around several Daleks, whose eyes seemed to follow him wherever he went -crawling into his casing and judging him- Corky stopped in front of the 'malfunctioning' Dalek. "I do not destroy life," he stated gently, "and I am Dalek." That having been said, he continued, "I am a friend of the Doctor, and I seek answers. How did you come about this belief? What did the Doctor do to you to allow you to come to this conclusion?"

It stopped yelling. The Dalek's eyestalk met Corky's, seemingly looking into his soul. "The Doctor did nothing to allow the truth to become clear. I saw it on my own. He merely ensured I did not die."

"And how did you come to this conclusion, if nobody showed you the truth?"

"I saw true beauty. Life. Daleks destroy life."

Corky swivelled his head around to look to the Doctor. "I do not understand," he stated… but he was beginning to, and it frightened him. These Daleks might be intelligent, but there was a big difference between intelligence and wisdom… these Daleks had none, it seemed like they couldn't think for themselves.

"I don't, either," the Doctor replied, looking back to the other Dalek. "What did you see?"

"The birth of a star. Daleks do not acknowledge such events. It was beauty."

Such a simple sight surely couldn't bring a sense of beauty to one, could it? "What did the Doctor do to save you from death?" he asked, not thinking on it further... there wasn't anything wrong with the Dalek as far as Corky could see. If anything, everyone ELSE was horribly wrong -but why didn't the other Daleks see that?

"He allowed me my memories back."

The other Daleks were silently watching the conversation, surprisingly not interrupting. They were getting their diagnosis, albeit slowly. Something was wrong in its memory-suppression system.

"But how did I…?"

"You were miniaturized, Doctor. You and your assistants."

"Don't tell me who - spoilers."

"Spoilers?" Corky asked, spinning his head about to face the Doctor.

"Anything that happens in my future. It could change if I found out before I'm supposed to."

"Unless you made sure to follow the path already set before you, no matter the cost," Corky commented. Then he turned back to the 'malfunctioning' Dalek. "Why do the Daleks allow you to live with this knowledge. Why are they so intent on 'repairing' you?"

"But it's not _fun_ if I-" the Doctor attempted to argue, but was quickly cut off by the other Dalek.

"I am not a warrior of the Daleks."

"But if that is the only reason, then why are they not trying to figure out what is 'wrong' with me, as well?"

The Doctor picked up on a whirring noise from one of the other Daleks. That was exactly what they were doing, why they were so quiet. "Corky, stop talking."

"That is not necessary, Doctor," one Dalek said suddenly, "We have made a diagnosis on both Daleks already." In that moment, all Dalek weapons were trained on both Corky and the Doctor. " _Both_ malfunctioning Daleks will be repaired, and the Doctor will be EXTERMINATED!"


	8. Chapter VII: Persistent Questions

_**Yes, this story is not dead. In fact, it is quite a alive. My absence from FanFiction has no excuse, but I SHALL update this story, even if it is slow.**_

No weapons were fired at first. Even with other Daleks surrounding Corky, they almost seemed skittish around both of them. "So you're too scared of my _companion_ to kill me? That's a new one," the Doctor commented, almost snarkily. "I should bring Daleks along more often."

Corky didn't sport the Doctor's unfaltering confidence. Having guns pointed at him was enough to silence his many questions, and the Dalek wanted only to get away. Frozen in place, he hesitated. "The Doctor must not be exterminated or you will have the Q to answer to." …not that the he thought the Daleks cared about that.

In turn, however, several of the Daleks reversed from their positions, the leader Dalek turning its eyestalk back to face Corky. "Verify your claim."

"I do not control the Q, but I assure you, I was half raised by one," he said, trying desperately to conjure up whatever power Q had ever given him… if he could do anything, perhaps they'd believe him. It was unfortunate Q didn't come at his call, but then again, perhaps it was for the better… sometimes.

The Dalek paused, obviously accessing the information it could find in the PathWeb. "The Q _stole_ you. You are in need of reconditioning."

A lust for answers and a strange sense of acceptance among his species was making Corky think almost irrationally. "My fate only matters to the Q if I make it, but so does everyone else's in this room. Exterminate the Doctor, then take me captive, and you will face the wrath of the Q: total obliteration. Let the Doctor leave and escape, and I will willingly go with you."

"Corky, don't do that! I'm responsible for you!"

The Daleks were quiet for a moment. "The Doctor will be held here. _You_ will exterminate him when you are trained." The room had stopped shaking with the tremors of the impending earthquake on Risa; they had to be in the air by now. There was no going back.

"Wait! What about the TARDIS!"

"The TARDIS has been secured."

While the Doctor was relieved that his ship hadn't been left behind, his expression turned somewhat dark. He'd get out of the situation, certainly… but Corky literally just surrendered himself to his own suffering. That's all the Daleks were - they were beings controlled by a single, evil mind. Corky, on the other hand, was oblivious to that fact. The Dalek was pulling out of nonexistent hope that his race was something more than mindless killers.

"I am responsible for myself," the Dalek replied to the Doctor's earlier comment, showing no sign of his uncertainty. "My decisions are my own."

"They won't be if you go with them. Daleks don't make decisions for themselves." The Doctor, then being aimed at by other Daleks, decided to go to wherever it was they were going to hold him - that, and he didn't feel like regenerating at that very moment. He still had his screwdriver, which was all he really did need in the grand scheme of things.

It was food for thought, but Corky didn't allow himself to believe the Doctor's accusations. He had to hold out hope for his race, and that, beneath all the armor and dangerous demeanor, they were all like him. The Dalek chose not to respond to the Doctor, instead facing towards the 'good' Dalek. "Do you have a name, then?" he asked, regardless of what the other Daleks thought. There was an uneasiness making his heart pound, and he tried to distract himself from it.

The Dalek looked straight into Corky's eyestalk. "Daleks do not have names. The Doctor called me Rusty when he repaired me."

Another Dalek turned its attention to Corky. "DALEKS DO NOT QUESTION."

"Well I do!" Corky snapped back defensively, "So what are you going to do to 'repair' me?"

"You require a standard casing and reconditioning."

"This casing works just as well as yours," Corky argued desperately. If there was one thing that the Dalek was afraid of, it was being exposed. He didn't like hiding his true self, but he was so weak and vulnerable underneath the metal that concealed him. "I will not shed these colours. I am a Starfleet cadet -not a machine of war."

"You are not of Starfleet. You are a Dalek. Daleks are soldiers. You will conform."

"I AM of Starfleet, and I am not a soldier. I will not conform."

"You _will_ ," the Dalek said, pointing its gun at Corky. "You will come with us. I am your instructor, and you _will_ be Dalek."

The Starfleet Dalek backed away a few inches, eyeing his new 'mentor' with fear. "Then you must answer this: what does being a Dalek entail?"

"Daleks are the superior warrior race. You obey orders. Do not question." At this point, the Dalek almost sounded exasperated with Corky; in all reality, it was the same one from earlier, and it had been secretly hoping it didn't have to deal with him again.

"Every other race has just as much a right to live," Corky argued. "And yes, I obey orders -but only within reason."

"Do not question," the Dalek repeated, almost gesturing for him to move towards one of the doors. The sooner he was put in a normal casing, the better. Not to mention there would be less questions.

As fear took a tighter and tighter grip on the Dalek, Corky continued to pepper the other with questions. "To not question is to throw yourself down upon the ground for someone to trod upon you, without even turning your head to ponder: Why allow yourself to be controlled?"

The Dalek froze in place for a moment, contemplating its answer. "I do not. I _choose_ to obey."

"Then why can I not choose to disobey?"

"Because you are Dalek," it practically hissed, "Soldiers obey orders."

"There is no logic behind that statement. And I am _not_ a soldier, but an engineer!"

"All Daleks are soldiers, regardless of specialty. We must obey."

Either the other Dalek was avoiding the question, or it didn't know… "Why?" Corky asked again, trying to pry open whatever information he could.

"Because Daleks were created for war." The other Dalek was almost trying to come up with an answer for itself… but it had known no other life. Every other lifeform hated Daleks, for obvious reasons.

"Disobedience embodies the very nature of war," Corky commented. "Most wars start over disagreement and disobedience. But just because you may be a creature of war does not mean you must follow orders at all moments. Wars have been won because of the disobedience of an army."

"Daleks belong with other Daleks. We must not be cast out." The instructor was trying to choose its words carefully, but there were none that wouldn't get it in trouble if overheard.

Corky paused. "Your asylum… what is its purpose?"

"It contains Daleks that do not obey."

"They were cast out by their disobedience. Am I correct?"

"Affirmative."

"What happened to Daleks belonging with other Daleks -and not to be cast out?"

"Unknown." The Dalek's voice was only becoming more grainy as the conversation went on. Unable to get Corky to stop asking questions, it instead fired its gun at Corky's own weapon, disabling it before he had any more opportunity to utilize it.

The other Dalek cried out, more from shock than pain. It did hurt, but not much more than a scratch. "I was not going to use it," he almost whimpered, "I do not think it could hurt you anyways."

"You require a standard casing. You will move," it said, continuing to aim at Corky for a possible extra warning shot. Perhaps it would destroy Corky's speech mechanisms next. At least it knew that the annoying question-asker could be damaged if need be.

"Why must I change casings? This one works just fine, apart from the fact you just obliterated my phaser." The very idea still frightened him to the core.

"Do. Not. Question," it practically growled, firing again and shattering one of the lights on Corky's dome.

Corky immediately ceased talking, distracted by the pain the other Dalek had inflicted upon him. The silence was short lived, however. "Please stop it," he pleaded, wincing inwardly as electric energy crackled through his light.

"Do not question," it said again, hoping it had made its point.

"How else am I to figure out how to be a Dalek?" Corky asked, not realizing that he'd just asked yet another question.

The Dalek merely fired again, this time hitting his manipulator arm. It clattered to the floor, and Corky yelled out in fear. He bit back so many questions, all pounding in his head, with the most blatant one being along the lines of "why are you doing this to me?" "I will refrain from asking questions," he stated, "Just please do not shoot again."

The Dalek almost fired again, but stopped for a moment. "You are learning."

 _Learning?_ He wasn't _learning_ anything. And if he was learning, he was learning how to be a coward. "Then you must teach me more," he said, his voice taut and grainy with fear. "What else do I need to know?" The question slipped through his defenses, and he immediately regretted it.

The Dalek opened fire, hitting the other light on his dome and shattering it, just like the other one had been earlier. "You will obey," it said simply.


	9. Chapter IX: Obedience

**Just a heads up, I will be moving drabbles out of this story into a different collection soon as per request. I just gotta say, I'm surprised as to how much attention this story is getting, especially as I expected _maybe_ one reader.**

Corky was trembling underneath the casing that hid him from view. The places the Dalek had hit him stung and burned, caused by the casing's artificial 'nerves', and he was silent. Staring at his 'instructor', he didn't know what to do or say. He wanted to be back at Starfleet, where he was _safe_. "I will not question orders," he submitted, but not promising that he wouldn't disobey them.

"You have learned," the Dalek told him, keeping its gun aimed at Corky regardless. "You require a standard casing. You will follow."

Keeping his eyestalk down and away from the other Dalek, Corky's shivering was now slightly visible from the outside of his casing as well, and he didn't want the other Dalek to see his fear. It took every ounce of his energy not to continue to pester his 'instructor' with more questions, especially now that it'd mentioned getting a new casing. Afraid of getting shot at again, Corky followed the Dalek… but there was one more prying question he had to ask, and he desperately hoped the other Dalek wouldn't punish him for it. "Is there any time that asking questions is appropriate?"

The Dalek stopped in its path, turning its eyestalk to face him for a moment. They were just outside another room, guaranteed to be filled with more Daleks. "Only superiors may question. You are not a superior."

"So there are to be no questions asked at all," Corky said flatly.

"Affirmative," it replied, gliding through the door and expecting Corky to follow; on the other side, in what would likely be considered a sick bay if Daleks were another species, there was a rather extensive collection of machinery, and, of course, other Daleks. Corky's instructor could only hope that he would abide by its orders. It continued over to the other side of the room, where there were full Dalek casings. While extras typically weren't needed, it was still normal to have them for emergencies. Like Corky.

Swiveling his head about to examine the room, Corky found himself extremely quiet. This place was strange, and it looked like something from a horror movie. He kept pinning his eye on the other Daleks, some of them getting minor repairs, others operating the machinery to complete the repairs. "I do not wish to be removed from my current casing," he admitted, his voice squeaking. Even if he hurt from the blows he'd taken, the very thought of being exposed frightened him.

"You do not have a choice." The Dalek moved to one of the machines, turning its eyestalk back towards Corky. "Move in proximity to the new casing and open your own," it ordered, the machine in its control beginning to come to life.

As much as he didn't want to, Corky did as he was told. "Doctor… Q…" he spoke softly, as if calling to them to ask them to help him. Before opening his casing, he turned to stare through his instructor. "I am afraid, but I will do as you ask. Not because I want to, nor because I think it is the right thing to do. I am only going along with this because it is my only option." His heart racing, he opened his casing, revealing his true form -exposing his true self, trembling and weak, to the Daleks.

Corky's instructor, upon seeing that Corky's casing was open, worked the machine quickly, and, hopefully, gently enough so as to not hurt him. Shooting his casing was different. Very different. That, and the machine was designed to cause as minimal damage as possible. Disconnecting him from his original casing first, it wasted no time in moving Corky to the new one, which automatically attached life support systems onto Corky as soon as he was within range. The Dalek made sure that it had done everything correctly before moving the machine out of the way. The casing closed automatically and engaged.

Corky was trying desperately to remain as calm as possible while the procedure took place. Without life support systems or anything to help keep him alive, even for a few moments, it _hurt_. But perhaps not as much as his new casing. It immediately worked against him -against _him_ , his Self. Corky desperately called out for help -for anyone to come to his rescue… for the Doctor, for Q… for _anyone_ , but each time he tried to speak, the casing filtered out his messages into a twisted and garbled word: Exterminate. His lights blinked on and off with the word, and his head swivelled around wildly in fright. Luckily, the casing's gun had not yet been equipped, so no Dalek was shot in the process, but Corky raged in fear as the casing's computers sifted through his memories, trying to steal them away, and feed him orders he could not fight. Though he was not in physical pain any longer, it was mental torture.

The other Dalek watched in almost curiosity at Corky's behavior, merely waiting for him to calm down. It already knew it would have to retrain Corky on speech, among other things. "You will learn," it stated, unsure if the panicked Dalek could hear or acknowledge anything yet. "Adjustment requires time, but you will learn."

The words registered, Corky pinned his gaze fiercely upon his mentor, still frenzied but slowly allowing the programming control him. He was losing the battle, and the only thing he could do was remember who he was, and that he remained part of Starfleet. He gripped onto those thoughts as a foundation, a hold to keep him from slipping into the dark abyss of submission and obedience -the pit where free will did not exist: the endless night of the Daleks. "This is sickness," he spoke, "this is slavery."

The Dalek looked back at Corky with equal intensity, almost in understanding, but it also knew what reigned true, and there was no changing that. "Daleks must obey."

"Then give me orders," he responded, failing to fight the programming controlling him.

Corky's instructor paused for a split second. How had a change of casing impacted him so much? He almost didn't even _need_ any training. "Your weapon will be activated… and you will then exterminate the Doctor."

"I. Will. Not." Corky spat the words out, as difficult as it was to do so. The Doctor was his only hope of escaping this torture of mind, and the only thing keeping him at least somewhat aware of who he was.

Clearly the Dalek's initial judgement was wrong. "Then you will go into Dalek training until you obey."

Inside his casing, Corky was trying to preserve as much of himself as possible, but it was slipping away from his grasp. His fear was running haywire and allowing the machine an advantage over him. _I will not undergo training to become a murderer._ "I require your guidance," he replied.

"Affirmative." The Dalek turned, leading the way out of the room. Training simulators were the next step for certain. "You will follow."

Without any choice but to obey his command, he turned to do so. _I will not allow you to turn me into a Dalek._ If being a Dalek meant this, he did not want to be one - but a darker thought struck him. If he was struggling to make his own choices, were the other Daleks this way as well? What was underneath their armor and defenses? The same frightened creature he was? "I obey."


	10. Chapter X: Training

Corky's instructor led on in silence until they came to another room, which seemed empty and plain for the most part, other than it was dome-shaped. Some machinery was placed in the ceiling, perhaps being a projector of sorts. The door slid shut and seemingly disappeared after Corky entered. "You will exterminate the life forms," his instructor told him, ready to throw a switch on the wall.

 _A holodeck, like on standard Starfleet ships._ "This is a simulation," the casing translated, disguising a questioning tone with the flat tone the Daleks droned in. Corky took in his surroundings. This would be simple - shooting bogies in a holodeck was good fun, and better yet, nobody got hurt in doing so. Perhaps if he could excel in this test, then he could prove to the other Dalek that he did not need training -and possibly be able to find the Doctor. He would know what to do to help him escape this torment. _He has to._

"Correct," the instructor replied, turning the simulation on. The lights changed immediately, leaving Corky in the center of what looked like a battleground of some sort. A hologram appeared in front of him - one of a human male, armed and holding a gun, looking like he was about to shoot.

He hesitated a moment, only startled by the sheer anger portrayed in the face of the simulation. "Exterminate!" Corky shot, pondering where the ancient word had come from. He could recall having been scolded for yelling the word early on in his experience at the Academy.

This time was different, however. There was no scolding or instruction to be quiet. There was only another set of holograms, this time depicting several men, all holding guns of some sort aimed at Corky. Behind them were women and children, many of which wearing tattered clothing and looking terrified. Corky hesitated a second time -this time for longer- before shooting at those who were armed. He stopped at the innocent they'd been guarding, unable to shoot, even if it was just a simulation. A tight reign of morals was holding him back, even as his casing fed him whispers telling him to obey. To kill.

But the simulation didn't end. His instructor had seemingly disappeared when the program had begun, possibly working it from behind the scenes, but it didn't take the hint that Corky would not destroy the rest of the people depicted. One of the children, a little boy, got up from his cowering position and faced Corky. "Well? What are you waiting for? Exterminate us!"

The creature inside the casing flinched. _Why? You're unarmed._ "There is no reason to exterminate you."

The hologram glitched, the face of innocence turning to one of anger. "Why not?"

 _I CAN'T exterminate you._ "Unknown." Corky slid back a few paces, startled by the anger portrayed in the youngling's face.

The child walked forward a few paces, putting the same distance between him and the Dalek that was there before. "We are a lesser species. EXTERMINATE US!"

"I WILL NOT." Corky screamed, but he was almost itching to fire -something was telling him he _had_ to… and worse, that it was _right_ to do so. "I CANNOT."

The hologram merely walked forwards a few more paces, holding his arms out as if he were a target. "EXTERMINATE!"

Staring blankly at the child, the Dalek before the boy could hardly comprehend what was going on… but there was one thing he knew above all else. "EXTERMINATE!" he repeated, his gun firing and shooting the hologram, then turning upon the other human faces gazing up at him. There wasn't any regret, or thought… or even a hint of compassion - just the horrible need to kill. Bloodlust, anger, _hatred._

The simulation changed again. This time, the only enemy in the room was a man wearing a leather jacket. Corky was now tied down by holographic chains. The man laughed hatefully. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless, look at you. The great space dustbin." He walked forward, putting his face dangerously close to Corky's eyestalk. "How does it feel?"

The words made Corky's skin crawl, and reality set in. He was becoming a Dalek… he could _feel_ himself giving into the whispers and lies his casing kept feeding him... and he was far more powerless than just the chains holding him down. The man just inches away from his eyestalk had glittering eyes filled with hatred -hatred that reflected that of the emotion found in all other Daleks. Corky wanted to flinch back -to get away- to run… "I feel fear."

The man continued in his nasty tone, "If you can't kill, then what are you good for, _Dalek_? What's the point of you? You're NOTHING! What are you here for?!"

 _I am a STARFLEET Dalek, I am NOT MEANT TO KILL,_ Corky wanted to desperately snarl back at the man, but was unable to. His casing simply filtered through the message, silencing any 'radical' thought before it started. Already the very notion of being part of Starfleet felt _wrong_ to Corky, but he knew it to be true. It _had_ to be true. Whatever he tried to say in response turned out to be silenced, as if impossible for a Dalek to comprehend, or a Dalek casing to translate. The words themselves were in his databanks, but they weren't filtering through the systems supporting speech. Finally, he came up with something: a very simple word. "Unknown."

"Oh, and I caught your little signal!" the hologram continued, then assuming a somewhat high-pitched mocking tone, "'Help me!' Poor little thing. But there's no one else coming, 'cause there's no one else left."

 _What is this man even babbling about?_ Corky wondered, trying to figure out if this was part of some set holographic story he had jumped into the middle of… Was he supposed to be the only Dalek left? In the earlier events of the story, he assumed, he'd supposedly sent out a distress call. It sounded like it, at least… "You came," he stated flatly, pointedly. If this man had come, it was possible others would come, too.

The man nodded, still smiling devilishly. "You're right, yeah, okay, you've got a point! 'Cause I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve…" he started, walking over to a lever on the wall. "The Daleks and the Time Lords. All dead. I made it happen," he hissed, pulling the handle down, "Exterminate!"

A surge of electricity coursed through Corky.


	11. Chapter XI: Enemies

The Dalek screamed, shocked and horrified by the fact the hologram could inflict pain such as this. At Starfleet, there'd been safeguards to protect its occupants away from harm in the holodeck, but here? Corky couldn't speak-he couldn't even think… Except for one thought: this was the Doctor who was taunting him. Something in his casing had snapped on, flooding his mind that the Doctor was an _enemy_ and should be exterminated on sight.

The simulation ended. Corky's instructor, revealing itself again after the scene dissolved, glided back over to him. "What did you learn?"

He'd learned _nothing_. At least, not anything worth mentioning to his tutor. _I've learned that the Daleks are monsters… or, that's what we're supposed to be. But I'm not._ Or was he? He'd ruthlessly destroyed the innocent lives presented to him in the hologram, even if it was just that - a simulation. And worse, he _enjoyed_ it. It had felt _right._ "We are made for destruction," Corky answered elusively, leaving the quote's meaning up for debate.

"What should be exterminated: inferior lifeforms or Daleks?"

 _Neither, unless in self defence._ Corky wanted to answer… but there was a creeping feeling that that was not what he believed - at least, not what he _should_ believe. The Dalek raised his eyestalk to stare at his mentor. "Inferior lifeforms."

The Dalek paused for a second, following up with another question. "And who _is_ the predator of the Daleks?"

Was it a trick question? Corky didn't know. "Unverified."

Corky's instructor attempted rewording what it was asking. "The enemy of the Daleks that must be destroyed on sight."

 _Isn't that everyone?_ The Dalek stayed silent, unsure of what to answer and afraid that if he spoke that he would anger his mentor.

If the Dalek could have expressed its annoyance, it would have. "The Doctor is the predator of the Daleks. He must be destroyed on sight," it finished for him, hoping he would understand. If not… that was what more simulations were for.

"I WILL NOT," Corky hissed, once again controlling the programming of his casing. The Doctor was still his only hope of escaping this mess, and if the Doctor was dead… Corky was doomed.

"You are not responding to training," the other Dalek growled back. "You will participate in another simulation or you will be transported to the Asylum."

Didn't these Daleks ever hear of a little thing called patience? If they wanted him to follow them, threatening to send him to the Asylum was not the answer. "I obey," he responded. He almost sounded annoyed. _But the Doctor is not to be exterminated when I'm around._

"Affirmative," the Dalek responded, starting the simulation again and cloaking itself with it. The scene was the same as one of them before - except this time it was just the women and children cowering away from Corky. Just a warm-up, certainly.

Once again, Corky itched to fire, but the faces of the humans stopped him from doing so. They were terrified and helpless, even if it were just a simulation. A battle roared between Corky's thoughts and his casing's whispers and lies. To shoot or not to shoot. A moment of hesitation turned to several, until he fired -against his will- at one, then another, each time feeling less and less guilty about it, even though he knew he should be.

When he had finished, the simulation dissolved into another one. There was red soil on the ground, an orange sky tainting everything with a flaming light. Or maybe it was the buildings on fire in the background. Daleks were everywhere, shooting down people as they came along them… but then those seemingly-dead people were surrounded in a glowing golden light and returned to fighting soon after. There was a wall close by him, the words 'NO MORE' etched into it in a huge, ragged font. A man holding a gun was standing next to the writing, aiming at Corky.

The Dalek froze, confused and disoriented by the change of scenery. Where was this, and more importantly, what was happening? Was he supposed to shoot the man aiming right at him -he assumed so. But then, why would his mentor show him this, when he'd already proven he had no problem shooting in self defence? It didn't add up. More questions pummeled through his head: would the man actually shoot? If he did, could it kill him, maim him? The electricity earlier had been very real, so why couldn't a bullet kill? Inside his casing, he curled his tentacles just thinking about the memory -they still tingled with pain. Afraid of the prospect of being killed by a hologram, Corky shot, once again yelling the ancient word embedded into his very nature.

The older man, not fighting back, fell to the ground, supposedly dead - but then a glowing light surrounded him, like the other people in the simulation; he turned into the man that Corky had seen before. The one that had electrocuted him. "Thought you could get rid of me that easy, yeah?" he said in the same taunting manner he'd used in the previous simulation. The Doctor grabbed the gun he'd been holding, aiming at Corky again and attempting to shoot… but by some stroke of luck, when he fired it didn't kill the Dalek. Maybe the simulation was broken.

Taking no moment to ponder, a frightened but relieved Corky fired again, but cringing inwardly. He didn't want to… but this man… this man that he assumed was the Doctor… it wasn't the man Corky was putting so much faith into. He simply couldn't believe it.

Again the man regenerated. This time when the golden light cleared away, he had brown, spiked-up hair and was wearing glasses, holding his sonic screwdriver upwards. "This is why I love my sonic," he started, smirking a little. "It doesn't kill, doesn't harm, doesn't maim… but it's very, very good at opening doors." The screwdriver lit up, opening invisible doors to the outside of the simulation… except hundreds of Cybermen marched in, putting Corky in the middle of their attack.

The Dalek was beyond confused as to what was happening, or even what he was supposed to do. Whatever the case, the Doctor Corky knew now seemed quite a bit more similar to the man just regenerated. Was he still supposed to go after the Doctor, or were these other lifeforms to be exterminated first -not that he'd ever kill the Doctor, really… would he? Now he couldn't know for sure.

Spinning his head about to try to scan for the Doctor, he wondered if the man could help him - forgetting it was a simulation. Besides the whisperings of his casing, telling him it was very much real, it felt like some twisted dream. Perhaps that was what it was really, and any moment Corky would awaken to find that the Doctor didn't exist and the Daleks, and who they were, were just a nightmare. _Doctor?!_ His casing translated to sound much more like an order than a question however. "DOC-TOR!"

The Cybermen fired their lasers at Corky, but as soon as he cried out the Doctor's name, it was them that exploded instead of him. The simulation dissolved, and his instructor came out of hiding again. "Why do you call for the Doctor?" it asked. "He will harm you."

 _He will not…_ Corky then stopped that train of thought, trying to figure out an excuse that wouldn't get him into trouble. Why _had_ he called out for the Doctor, anyways? The Doctor was an _enemy._ "The Doctor is the first priority to be found and exterminated." ... _so that he may help me,_ he reminded himself frantically. The casing translated his thoughts wrong. But perhaps it was for the better… certainly it was a much more 'Dalek' answer - _and a much more correct one_. The thought came out of nowhere, and Corky didn't like it.

The Dalek paused again, looking into Corky's eyestalk almost questioningly. "Would _you_ exterminate him?"

"No," he answered truthfully.

"Explain."

"The Doctor could be useful to the Daleks," he spoke, _but more importantly, me._

"Unclear. Elaborate." The Dalek almost sounded curious.

"The Doctor knows our weaknesses. Through him, we can improve the Dalek race to be indestructible. With the Doctor, we could find races we did not know of and exterminate them." _Of course he'd die before going along with it._ He wasn't even sure why he was arguing… but he was so confused.

"Not possible. Daleks do not ally with Time Lords."


	12. Chapter XII: Alliance

**It's been far too long since I've last updated this story. However, I can say that now the story is officially completed and I'll try to post chapters once or twice a week until they're all there. I can't appreciate the followers and reviewers enough, and I apologize for my lack of consistency.**

"If you think about it, it is not an alliance. If his usefulness would deplete, he would be exterminated," Corky countered, voice void of emotion as he spoke.

"The Doctor is the predator of the Daleks," the Dalek said, trying to explain its reasoning - however, it couldn't say that a weak, filthy _Time Lord_ had almost wiped them out… on numerous occasions.

"A greatest weakness can be used as a greatest strength."

"The Doctor is not a weakness. The Doctor is an enemy."

"Then you should rather have a great enemy on your side than against you."

Corky's instructor had to stop for a second, attempting to process what Corky had said before continuing. "The Doctor will _never_ be on the side of the Daleks. You are still malfunctioning."

 _I am NOT malfunctioning,_ Corky wanted to scream out… but maybe his mentor was right… his thoughts were against every Dalek code ever made. They were radical and irrational. _But that's because I'm not one of them… I can't be…_ "Repair me then," _if you can._

"Methods of repair are unknown." There was a waver in the Dalek's voice.

Corky was surprised. From what he'd seen so far, he'd thought that they wouldn't hint at failure until it was inevitable - if even then. "You do not know how to repair me." It was a question, but sounded so forced it was a statement.

The Dalek paused, almost trying to find a way around the truth. For whatever reason… it seemed almost like it didn't want to admit it. "Insanity cannot be repaired."

 _INSANITY? Everyone here is insane, not_ me. "You are sane. I am not." Again his new casing muddled and twisted his question into a statement, and an incorrect and flip-flopped version, but at least it would hopefully get the point across to his mentor.

"Unverified. Correct," it replied, separating the answers to each of Corky's statements; it could not claim its own sanity.

"Unverified." Corky stated in the same, dead sounding statement, disguising yet another question.

Corky's instructor was taking even more time between answers, like it didn't know what to say. Or what it was trying to say was being filtered at first. "...I am not sane," it said slowly, attempting to grapple with the concept for itself. It already knew it didn't think like a normal Dalek.

"I was a test for you. To determine your sanity," Corky came to the conclusion - why else had he been paired with an 'unstable' Dalek by their standards? From what he'd seen, he'd indeed gotten lucky as the Doctor had said. Perhaps he could push that luck to his benefit. "The Doctor can help us. We can escape being sent to the Asylum." Any thought about escape made it both easier and harder to control his casing. The vocal restrictions seemed to lax some, but the pounding of battle at the back of his mind was worse now.

"The Doctor will exterminate us."

"Not me," Corky insisted, "Not if I could tell him who I am."

"Your casing cannot say your name." That much, it knew was true… it had attempted saying its own name on multiple occasions. All that ever came out was 'Dalek'.

"I am," his casing was trying desperately to shove the words back down his hypothetical throat, "from Starfleet. That should be enough."

"It will be enough for you," it repeated, but its casing wouldn't let it ask what it wanted to. _What about me?_

"It will be enough for _us_ ," Corky insisted. "You are in alliance."

The Dalek paused. "...we are in alliance with the Doctor." That sentence alone didn't sound Dalek… but then again, it wasn't of sane mind. Would the Doctor kill an insane Dalek?

"Correct. We must find the Doctor." _He is the only one who is able to save us…_

"The Doctor is under guard. Location unknown."

"You ordered me to exterminate the Doctor. I may have clearance if you speak to your superiors."

The Dalek paused again, thinking for a moment… it was so difficult to do when it involved betraying the Daleks. "You are correct. You will exterminate the Doctor." And, of course, the true meaning was lost through the Dalek's casing. Again.

"Affirmative," Corky agreed, desperately hoping that this Dalek wasn't actually ordering him to do so. Glancing about the holodeck, his head and eyestalk wiggling and swinging about as he did so, he shuddered inwardly. He wanted to get _out_. "I am a Dalek," he almost choked on his next words, "and I will _act_ like one. Take me to the Doctor."

"Affirmative," the Dalek echoed. It had recorded Corky's statement, utilizing it as clearance to give it directions to the Doctor. He was up a couple levels from where they were. "Prisoner located. You will follow, and prepare to exterminate," it stated, leaving who was to be exterminated out of the sentence. Hopefully Corky understood.


	13. Chapter XIII: Rescue Operation

As far as Corky could tell, there were no stun settings on a Dalek gun, and it always seemed to be ready to fire - whether or not he told himself he wanted to kill. "I obey," Corky droned, trying to sound exceptionally _Dalek_.

Corky's mentor glided out of the room without another word, expecting him to follow as it had stated before. If anything, it was glad that it had to be blunt. If it didn't, it would've blown their cover by now. Following the mental map that it had been given, it didn't take long to make it to the room where the Doctor was being held. Two Daleks guarding the door stared at it for a minute.

"The rogue will exterminate the Doctor," it explained curtly.

"Affirmative," Corky stated in the same tone, gliding past and making his way towards the Doctor. Spinning his domed head around the room, he could feel every fiber of his being tingling with nervousness, and fear, as directives against his beliefs tugged ruthlessly at his mind. "I have been trained," he stated bluntly to the Doctor, hoping -desperately hoping- that the man would understand his true meaning, "and I have discovered what it means to be Dalek, but I _am_ a Starfleet Dalek. That will not change."

"THE ROGUE IS NOT TRAINED! EXTERMINATE!" one of the Dalek guards cried out, immediately turning to kill both Corky and his instructor, but it had not moved quickly enough. Corky's instructor opened fire on it and the other Dalek at the door. Hopefully they hadn't sent for reinforcements.

The Doctor, however, was leaning against a wall, almost waiting for his fate. Except he wasn't. He was waiting for Corky to see how horrible the Daleks really were… though he was surprised he survived being put in a standard casing. Upon seeing that he _wasn't_ about to be exterminated, he practically bounded over to him. "See? Daleks aren't any good. Come on, let's find the TARDIS and get you back to your school."

"No, Doctor," he said, his voice sounding particularly harsh. The idea of going back to Starfleet was enough to make him giddy… but still the Dalek programming was lurking at the back of his mind, calmly trying to persuade him to give in… to get him under its spell. "It would be dangerous." Not to mention Corky's mentor… "and this Dalek is in alliance."

The Time Lord looked at the other Dalek in curiosity. He couldn't _possibly_ take _another_ Dalek with him. Especially not one that was conditioned by Dalek society. "We'll figure it out," he said, starting for the door. He supposed that an extra Dalek was good for the time being. It would be another weapon. "But we have _got_ to get out of here before more show up."

"I require a new casing," Corky insisted, _one not made by Daleks._ He wanted to escape, but from what he'd gathered so far, so long as his current casing was operational, the Daleks could very well use him to their advantage -especially if he gave into its programming a second time.

"I might be able to... disable the programming that's in that one. But not right now. If that Dalek can fight it, so can you. The TARDIS is safer." Normally he wouldn't be one promoting safety… but these were _Daleks_ they were talking about.

The other Dalek looked from the Doctor, to Corky and then back to the Doctor. "He is not accustomed to defying the Dalek programming. I will defend the premises. You will help him." _And, perchance, you can help me as well._

As much as Corky hated to admit that he was indeed fighting a battle he would surely lose, the Dalek agreed. "Doctor, do not let me into the TARDIS. I am a danger to it."

"You're not going to hurt the TARDIS." Of course, Corky's programming could cause him to slip away at any time… even if he wouldn't damage the TARDIS too much… he could mentally die. The Doctor pushed the thought aside. "The moment that Dalek can't hold them off anymore, we're going there," he decided, pointing his screwdriver at where the 'head' of the casing was attached to the rest of it, detaching it to reveal a mess of wiring and computer components. He was going to figure this out, and he was going to do it before anyone got killed.

The creature inside flinched. Even though Corky himself wasn't being touched, thousands of sensors were connected to him, sending his mind odd signals of pain or feeling -and what the Doctor was doing tickled. "Be cautious," he blurted, trying to snuff the tingling at the tip of his gun, which was more than ready to fire.

"I'm trying." The Time Lord only continued his search through what could be considered a rats' nest of wires. He supposed it made sense to a Dalek, but he was looking for something specific… and it was all he could do to not tear all the wires out of their connections in frustration. The cries of EXTERMINATE from the entryway led him to believe that the Daleks had sent reinforcements. Hopefully that rogue Dalek would hold up.

" _Doctor,"_ the Starfleet cadet almost hissed, suddenly reminded of the reason the Daleks captured them in the first place. "We must ensure the original rogue is safe as well." Corky thought of more than one terrible word to describe the frustration of being trapped in the Dalek casing, half hoping that the thing would translate at least one of them. The 'original rogue' had a name, and that name was Rusty…

"Just... hold on. We'll get him." the Doctor said, pulling out some kind of processor and scanning it with his screwdriver. And, upon confirming that it was what he thought it was, he disconnected it.


End file.
